


What Love Is

by thekingslover



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Established Relationship, Love Confessions, M/M, Protective Carlos Reyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:21:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekingslover/pseuds/thekingslover
Summary: “It’s not you,” TK said, glancing up.“Did something happen?” Carlos stood straighter, shoulders back.“You could say that,” TK said, stalling. Carlos didn’t wait long for the rest. “Alex called me today.”
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 5
Kudos: 301





	What Love Is

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my tumblr blog, thekingslover

Carlos had thought they were past this. It’d been several months now, since he and TK put a label on this thing between them and made it official. But the way TK looked at the surprise dinner Carlos had called him for tonight was giving him flashbacks.

“I overdid it,” Carlos said, to give them both an out if TK wanted, if this was too much again.

They’d agreed to go slow. Carlos was trying, but he didn’t know how to turn down the part of him that desperately wanted to take care of the people he… loved.

Carlos took a shaky breath. Love - another thing that would be entirely unwelcome to TK. Carlos was on shaky ground. He couldn’t find his footing with this relationship. He was messing up left and right.

“It’s okay,” Carlos said, backing up into the kitchen. “I’ll box it up and have it for lunch.” He reached for the cabinet with the containers.

TK had followed him into the kitchen. He placed a hand on Carlos’ arm. “No. No, it’s okay. It’s…” He cleared his throat. “It’s good.” He smiled, but his eyes were wild, searching the room like he was looking for an escape.

“TK.” Carlos turned toward TK, frowning at how fast TK pulled away his hand from Carlos’ arm.

TK tucked both hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

Carlos started, “It’s not a big -”

“It’s not you,” TK said, glancing up.

Carlos’ thoughts screech to a halt. Not him. Then, what? “Did something happen?” He stood straighter, shoulders back.

“You could say that,” TK said, stalling. Carlos didn’t wait long for the rest. “Alex called me today.”

Carlos blinked. “Alex?”

“My ex.”

Carlos knew pieces of TK’s past, enough to put the picture together. Enough for his protective instincts to burn hot before he could wrangle them and shove them down, where they coiled uncomfortably in his gut. He needed a level head for this conversation, to be whoever TK needed him to be - friend or boyfriend or… ex.

“You okay?” Carlos asked.

“That’s your first question?” TK gave a too-small smile. “Don’t you want to know -”

“I don’t care about him,” Carlos said. “I care about you.”

TK looked at him with a wide-eyed surprise that was both endearing and infuriating. Carlos’ affection for him always seemed to surprise him. “Yeah?”

Carlos waved around him, to the dinner on the stove, to the twin places set on the table. “This isn’t just for show.”

“I know, but…”

Carlos took a step toward him, pleased when TK didn’t step back. “I like you.” Carlos traced his fingers, feather-light along the side of TK’s cheek. Fondness tugged at Carlos’ heart when TK leaned into it. “So I am going to ask. Are you okay?”

“It was a surprise.” TK paused, so Carlos nodded. “I don’t know. I thought it would ruin me to hear from him again.” He ran his hand through his hair. “But… it didn’t.” His smile returned, growing stronger. “I was talking to him, but I kept thinking about you.”

Carlos went very still. “Me?”

TK held his gaze, something swimming in his eyes that looked a lot like open affection, so blatant it made Carlos’ breath catch.

“Yeah,” TK said. “About tonight. About how I wanted him to stop talking so I could get ready and be here early.” He shook his head. “I used to think what I had with him… I thought it was love.”

TK took a hand from his pocket. He held it in the space between them for a moment, fingers curling, before he placed it on Carlos’ chest.

“But now, I’m not sure. I think it was more that I wanted to be in love.”

TK stared at that hand, and at Carlos’, as he lowered his own to place it atop his, pressing it more firmly over his heart.

Softer, TK said, “I don’t think I even knew what love felt like then.” He lifted his eyes to Carlos again, and there was no denying what shone in those bright eyes this time. “But I do now.”

“Tyler,” Carlos said, because if he didn’t say something, he would burst.

“I love you, Carlos.”

Carlos was grateful for the hands on his chest, certain they were the only things keeping his heart from leaping straight onto the kitchen counter.

So light, so happy, he couldn’t stop the laugh from bubbling out of him.

“What?” TK said, but his smile was wide and easy.

“You said it first.” Carlos had felt love for this man for months, but he had been so afraid, so - well, it didn’t matter now. “Can I say it back?”

“If you mean it,” TK said, stepping closer. If he turned his head just right Carlos could kiss him.

“I love you, Tyler Kennedy.”

“Good,” TK said, giving a nervous laugh of his own. “That’s good.”

Then he tilted his head just right.

So Carlos kissed him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


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